


In The Middle Of Everything

by prof_reedsmith



Category: The Fall (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 16:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2699777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prof_reedsmith/pseuds/prof_reedsmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 2x03. Stella can't go back to her hotel room after what happened that night. She gives Reed Smith a call.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Stella leant against the cold white wall of the police headquarters, gripping her phone. It was almost 2.30am and the bright lights were beginning to give her a headache. More of a headache. As she scrolled through the contacts on her phone, she was trying to buy herself some time. _What is she going to think when she sees my number?_ , she thought to herself with what would have been a smirk, had this been a night she could have mustered one.

DC Glen Martin was about to finish his shift, when he heard of Stella’s night. After all the paperwork, his last job of the evening was to make sure Stella had somewhere safe to stay. She had insisted on staying in the bed in her office, but that suggestion did not go down well with her colleagues, to say the least. He looked up from his desk, his raised eyebrows and inquisitive expression enquiring silently how it was going, as Stella raised the phone to her ear.

It rang a few times. Maybe four.

 _Never mind_ , thought Stella, _I should have accepted the other offer, I’ll just tell--_

A few more rings followed by a silence on the other end. _She was asleep. Of course she was._

“Stella?”

“Yes--”

“Is everything--”

“Not exactly. I’m at the police station--”

“At this hour? What’s going on?”

“It’s a long story. But I need somewhere to stay for the night. Sorry to call at this hour but I--”

“Of course. Do you have my address? I’ll send it through.”

“Thank you.” The call ended.  _Well that wasn’t awkward,_ she thought. _Yet._

She gathered her coat and an overnight bag she had hastily packed from her hotel room. The officers remaining in the station knew better than to offer her a lift again. As shaken up as Stella was, she had not been rendered incapable. _If he was going to do something, he would have done it then. When he had the chance,_ she insisted to herself.

The drive was a little longer than she had thought; she wasn’t too familiar with the part of Belfast she was heading into, but the sat nav took her right to Reed Smith’s front door. She double-checked the address on her phone - it was the only house in the street with the light still on.

As she made her way through the gate to the front door, it opened before her. Reed Smith stood in the light of the doorway, stepping aside to invite her in. She wore a deep blue, loosely fitting shirt, her hair down - nothing like how she had looked earlier that night in the bar - but just as beautiful - Stella observed.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know that many people in Belfast,” Stella began to explain.

“Come in. What happened?” Reed asked, she didn’t need an apology.

She turned off the bright hallway light and led Stella into the living room - Stella was grateful for the dim light of the lamps as they sat down on the sofa. She told Reed about her night, talking fast and concisely. She didn't want to have to think about it more than what was necessary to explain her presence in this house. She didn’t want to think about the violation of him - _him_ \- reading her most personal writing. Her dreams. Something she didn’t even share with anyone.

As she spoke she was staring at a painting on the wall, across the room from where they sat - without really seeing it. She only cast occasional glances at the woman sitting next to her.

“You mean he was there the whole time? _And while Jim was there?”_

“Yes,” she breathed out. She hadn’t thought about it until that point, but _what if Reed had gone back to the room with her._ She wondered if Reed shared that thought. S he caught her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes, saw them widen. Reed was also making the connection, realising how close she had come to sharing Paul Spector's company.

Neither of them said anything about it. Now wasn’t the time.

Stella didn’t go into detail about what Paul Spector had been reading of her’s. Her _private journals_.  Reed reached out and gave her hand a short squeeze. Stella only reacted with a half smile, staring in the distance again. Earlier that night, she hadn't been able to keep her eyes off Reed.

“Would you like a drink?”

“No,” she responded, a little more abruptly that she meant to. “Thank you. If I can salvage a decent sleep from what’s left of the night, I think that would be best.”

“Of course. I only just finished writing a report myself. I’ll show you to your room.”

They both stood up. Stella followed Reed out of the room and up the stairs. Reed was explaining which room was which, and it dawned on Stella that, of course, Reed’s daughters must be asleep up here.

“That’s the spare room on the end. The bathroom, my room.” She pointed to the doors, “the girls’ room - but they’re at a sleepover.” She paused in front of another door and opened it. "And this is your room." She stepped aside to let Stella in, leaning her back against the door frame. “If I’d have gone back with you, in your hotel--”

Stella stopped her. “No, don’t,” she insisted.

“I almost came back,” Reed said, nervously sweeping her hair back behind her ears.

“Well under the circumstances, I’m glad you didn’t,” Stella replied, her voice quiet. Then she leaned in a little closer. “However, I will choose to take that ‘almost’ as a compliment,” she said with the first genuine smile since the night had come crashing down around her.

“It really was nice,” Reed could hear herself talking but could not really do anything to stop herself. “I mean, the drinks… as well as--” she really wished she’d stopped talking.

“Mhm,” Stella nodded, leaning on the opposite side of the door-frame, hand on hip, clearly enjoying watching the woman in front of her squirm.

“Well. As awkward as I just made it, it wasn't as awkward as I feared it would be,” Reed said, now unable to look Stella in the eye.

When she finally did, Stella was looking straight back at her. Reed leaned forward. She felt the silk blouse under her fingers as she wrapped an arm around Stella’s waist. With her lips pressed against Stella’s cheek, she whispered, “What I wanted to say was: This is new for me. It took me by surprise. But I really would like another chance to… have a drink with you.”

Stella leaned into her touch. Her lips now so close she could feel her breathing. Breathing which was so calm and relaxed, she noticed. Reed wasn't sure she still did

Stella softly replied, “When you’re ready, let me know.”

Reed only nodded a couple of times. Now was the time to let go of Stella and go to sleep. It must have been long past 3.30am by now. One last rush of bravery saw the hand lingering around Stella’s waist grip the silk blouse as she closed her eyes, and the inches of distance between their lips disappeared. A silent room; no one watching them now. Stella’s hand found it’s way behind Reed’s neck, fingers woven in Reed’s hair, a thumb gently caressing the side of her face as their lips moved together in a steady rhythm. Gentle touches and few heavy breaths between them, Reed occasionally pulling away to gaze into Stella’s eyes, pleasantly surprising her each time she leaned back into the kiss. It was a welcome reassurance to Stella, that maybe even Croydon couldn’t stand in the way of the electricity between them. As Reed pulled away, she took a deep breath.

“I’d better leave you to get some sleep,” she said, blushing a little. “Goodnight,” she spoke softly, as she left the room. Stella smiled as she watched Reed walk away for the second time that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place the morning after 2x03, right before 2x04. Stella wakes up at Reed Smith's house.

 

Stella barely slept that night. Reed’s spare room was lovely, the bed was comfortable, she felt safe; there was just a lot to process. Every time she was about to drift off to sleep she remembered another passage in her journal. Another passage he had read. _Oh God._

The next morning, Reed was in the kitchen making coffee when Stella made her way down the stairs.

“Sleep alright?” Reed enquired, turning around, coffee in hand waiting for Stella.

“I slept. A little,” a smile on her face as she looked down at the mug of coffee, gratefully receiving it from Reed’s hand. _Just how I like it._

Reed wouldn’t have known of Stella’s sleepless night from her appearance. She was dressed immaculately, as always. Not a crease in her blouse.

“I got a call from Ferrington. I can go back to my room later, but first there’s a few leads I have to check out at the station.”

Leaning back against the kitchen counter, Stella sipped her coffee, as Reed wondered whether she should ask what kind of leads. She decided against it; Stella was probably talking about it enough at work. Instead she took a few steps out of the room, opened the closet doors, and retrieved her motorcycle leathers and helmet.

“Thanks,” Stella spoke to break their comfortable silence as she placed the empty mug on the kitchen table, watching as Reed gracefully slid her arms into the black leather jacket, turned back around to face the entrance to the kitchen and zipped up the front over her pale blue shirt. There was a smirk on Stella’s face as Reed walked back into the kitchen.

“Have I mentioned how much that suits you,” Stella said, as she made no attempt to hide the fact that she was looking Reed up and down, appreciating every inch.

Reed gave a sly smile back as she picked up her keys and helmet from the table next to her. Stella retrieved her bag and coat, following Reed towards the front door. Reed opened it, pausing on the doorstep as a bright but cold morning greeted her. Stella, close behind her, wrapped her hands around Reed’s waist, as she had done when she had been riding on the back of her motorbike. Reed’s smile was so broad, it was a shame Stella couldn’t see it. Blonde hair brushed against the side of Reed’s right cheek as Stella leaned her head over the leather-clad shoulder.

“Really suits you,” Stella repeated, taking in a long breath, and the sweet smell of shampoo over the scent of leather.

“Play your cards right and I’ll take you for another ride later,” Reed responded, shifting out of the hold and glancing back at Stella with a playful gleam in her eye.

_Oh I bet you will,_ Stella thought to herself, tongue firmly in cheek.

Stella responded with a raise of the eyebrows as she pulled her keys from her bag and walked towards her car. She watched Reed put on her helmet as she headed for the bike; sauntering, enjoying the attention from Stella - the fact that she was still watching her. Stella swung open her car door, one hand on hip.

Reed put on her gloves and revved up the motorbike, a noise that Stella had to shout over if she wanted Reed to hear her.

"Can I see you later?"

"I'll be at the morturary till late," Reed answered. An indirect invitation.

“After you,” Stella offered, as she gestured to the woman in front of her. Reed sped away as the the early morning silence returned.

Sitting in her car, Stella had a moment to reflect. With a tilt of her head, and a faint self-congratulatory smile, she thought: _Could have been worse._


End file.
